Printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing on Double-line USPS Watermarked Paper
Straight-edge Possibilities: 1¢-15¢ all four sides possible - 50¢-$5 left and right edges only
Click on underlined Catalog Numbers below to see more details.
1¢ Franklin
of 1903
Designer: R. Ostrander Smith Vignette: G.F.C. Smillie
Frame: Robert F. Ponickau Lettering: Lyman F. Ellis
Year | Number | EDU | Type | No. Issued | Perforation | Colors/Varieties | Purpose |
1903 | 300 | 2/3/1903 | sheet stamp | 11 billion | 12 | blue green; green to deep green; yellowish green; gray green; double transfer; worn plate; cracked plate | the one-cent stamp paid the post card rate |
1907 | 300b | 3/22/1907 | booklet pane of 6 | --- | 12 | booklet pane of 6 | the one-cent stamp paid the post card rate |
1906 | 314 | 12/20/1906 | imperforate | 5 million | none | blue green; green to deep green; double transfer | the imperforate stamps were supplied to automatic vending machine manufacturers, who then added their own private perforations |
--- | 314V | --- | imperforate vertical coil | --- | none | blue green; with coil leader attached | the imperforate stamps were supplied to automatic vending machine manufacturers, who then added their own private perforations |
--- | 314H | --- | imperforate horizontal coil | --- | none | blue green; with coil leader attached | the imperforate stamps were supplied to automatic vending machine manufacturers, who then added their own private perforations |
1908 | 316 | --- | vertical coil | --- | 12 horiz. | blue green; guide line pair | these were experimental, among the first coils produced by the U. S. Post Office |
1908 | 318 | --- | horizontal coil | --- | 12 horiz. | blue green; guide line pair; double transfer | these were experimental, among the first coils produced by the U. S. Post Office |
2¢ Washington
of 1903
Designer: R. Ostrander Smith Vignette: G.F.C. Smillie
Frame and Lettering: R. F. Ponickau and G. Rose
Year | Number | EDU | Type | No. Issued | Perforation | Colors/Varieties | Purpose |
1903 | 301 | 1/28/1903 | sheet stamp | 3.3 billion | 12 | carmine; bright to deep carmine; carmine rose; double transfer; cracked plate | the two-cent
stamp paid the first class letter rate |
1903 | 301c | bklt single: 3/28/1903 bklt pane: 4/4/1903 |
booklet pane of 6 | --- | 12 | carmine |
2¢ Washington "Shield Design"
of 1903
Designer: Claire Aubrey Huston
Engravers: G.F.C. Smillie, R. F. Ponickau, and G. Rose
Year | Number | EDU | Type | No. Issued | Perforation | Colors/Varieties | Purpose |
1903 | 319 | 11/19/1903 | sheet stamp/type I | 21 billion | 12 | carmine; bright carmine;
red; double transfer; vert. pr. imperf. horiz.; horiz. pair imperf. or rouletted between |
Types
of the Two-Cent Redesign of 1903 the two-cent stamp paid the first class letter rate the change to the "Shield Design" was in response to complaints about the prior two-cent stamp |
--- | 319a carmine lake Type 1 - EDU: 9/23/1904 | --- | 12 | lake; carmine lake | |||
--- | 319b carmine rose Type 1 - EDU: 11/3/1903 | --- | 12 | carmine rose | |||
--- | 319c scarlet Type 1 - EDU: 12/16/1903 | --- | 12 | scarlet | |||
--- | 319f carmine lake Type II - EDU: 9/25/1908 | --- | 12 | lake; carmine lake; gash on face | |||
--- | 319g booklet - carmine Type I - EDU: 12/7/1903 | --- | 12 | carmine; vertical watermark (horizontal watermark error subtype) | |||
--- | 319h booklet - carmine Type II - EDU: 6/8/1908 | --- | 12 | carmine | |||
--- | 319i carmine Type II - EDU: 6/5/1908 | --- | 12 | carmine; red | |||
--- | 319j carmine rose Type II - EDU: 6/30/1908 | --- | 12 | carmine rose/type II | |||
--- | 319k scarlet Type II- EDU: 4/12/1904 | --- | 12 | scarlet/type II | |||
--- | 319n booklet (pane of 6) carmine rose Type 1 | --- | 12 | carmine rose | |||
--- | 319p booklet (pane of 6) scarlet Type 1 | --- | 12 | scarlet/type I booklet pane | |||
--- | 319q booklet (pane of 6) lake Type II | --- | 12 | lake/type II booklet pane | |||
1908 | 320 | 10/16/1906 | imperforate/type I | --- | none | carmine; double transfer | the imperforate stamps were issued and sold to automatic vending machine manufacturers, who then added their own private perforations |
--- | 320a (imperf) carmine lake Type II - 10/1/1908 | --- | none | lake; carmine lake; gash on face | |||
--- | 320b (imperf) scarlet Type I | --- | none | scarlet | |||
--- | 320c (imperf) carmine rose Type I | --- | none | carmine rose | |||
--- | 320d (imperf) carmine Type II | --- | none | carmine | |||
1908 | 320 | 4/9/1908 | imperforate vertical coil | --- | none | carmine | made by the Bureau from imperforate sheet stock |
1908 | 320 | 9/17/1908 | imperforate horizontal coil | --- | none | carmine | |
1908 | 321 | 10/2/1908 | vertical coil perf 12 horiz./type I | --- | 12 horiz. | carmine | these were
experimental, among the first coils produced by the U. S. Post Office |
1908 | 322 | 7/7/1908 | horiz. coil perf 12 vert./type II | --- | 12 vert. | carmine |
3¢ Jackson
of 1903
Designer: R. Ostrander Smith
Engravers: G.F.C. Smillie, R. F. Ponickau, G. Rose and Edward M. Weeks
Year | Number | EDU | Type | No. Issued | Perforation | Colors/Varieties | Purpose |
1903 | 302 | 3/19/1903 | sheet stamp | 276,212,074 | 12 | Johl lists the following
shades: bright violet, violet, purplish, violet, deep purplish
violet and bleached violet varieties: double transfer; cracked plate |
the three-cent
stamp was used as an all-purpose stamp to complete postage requirements as needed there was no great demand for this stamp and hence it was never issued imperforate or in coil form as were the other values between 1¢ and 5¢ |
4¢ Grant
of 1903
Designer: R. Ostrander Smith Engravers: G.F.C. Smillie,
R. F. Ponickau, G. Rose and Lyman F. Ellis
Year | Number | EDU | Type | No. Issued | Perforation | Colors/Varieties | Purpose |
1903 | 303 | 3/10/1903 | sheet stamp | 346 million | 12 | brown, yellow brown, dark brown, orange brown, red brown; double transfer |
the four-cent
stamp paid double the first class letter rate and was sometimes
used as a substitute, using two stamps for the eight-cent stamp, to pay the registry rate |
1908 | 314A | 5/27/1908 | imperforate | --- | none; all copies known have Schermack type III perforations | brown; guide line pair |
5¢ Lincoln
of 1903
Designer: R. Ostrander Smith
Engravers: Robert F. Ponickau, G. Rose and L. F. Ellis
Year | Number | EDU | Type | No. Issued | Perforation | Colors/Varieties | Purpose |
1903 | 304 | 2/9/1903 | sheet stamp | 550 million | 12 | pale blue to deep, dark blue;
bright blue; indigo; deep indigo; double transfer; cracked plate |
the five-cent stamp paid the U.P.U. rate for foreign mail |
1908 | 315 | 9/15/1908 | imperforate | --- | none | blue to deep blue | the imperforate stamp was sold to automatic vending machine companies, who then added their own private perforations |
1908 | 317 | 9/18/1908 | vertical coil perf 12 horizontally | --- | 12 horiz. | blue | these were
experimental, among the first coils produced by the U. S. Post Office |
6¢ Garfield
of 1903
Designer: R. Ostrander Smith Vignette: G.F.C. Smillie and Marcus W. Baldwin
Frame: R. F. Ponickau, G. Rose and L. F. Ellis
Year | Number | EDU | Type | No. Issued | Perforation | Colors/Varieties | Purpose |
1903 | 305 | 5/8/1903 | sheet stamp | 117,567,474 | 12 | claret, bright claret, deep claret; dull brownish lake; double transfer |
like the three-cent stamp this
stamp had small demand, but did pay triple the first class letter rate and was used as an all-purpose stamp to complete postage requirements |
8¢ Martha Washington
of 1903
Designer: R. Ostrander Smith
Engravers: Robert F. Ponickau, G. Rose and G.F.C. Smillie
Year | Number | EDU | Type | No. Issued | Perforation | Colors/Varieties | Purpose |
1902 | 306 | 12/27/1902 | sheet stamp | 176,841,474 | 12 | violet black; black, slate black; double transfer |
the eight-cent
stamp paid the registry fee |
10¢ Webster
of 1903
Designer: R. Ostrander Smith
Engravers: M. W. Baldwin, R. F. Ponickau, G. Rose and Lyman F. Ellis
Year | Number | EDU | Type | No. Issued | Perforation | Colors/Varieties | Purpose |
1903 | 307 | 3/12/1903 | sheet stamp | 260,010,574 | 12 | pale red-brown, red-brown,
deep red-brown; double transfer |
the 10¢ stamp paid the combined first class letter fee and registry fee on domestic mail and double the U.P.U. rate on foreign mail |
13¢ Harrison
of 1903
Designer: R. Ostrander Smith
Vignette: Marcus W. Baldwin Frame: Lyman F. Ellis
Year | Number | EDU | Type | No. Issued | Perforation | Colors | Purpose |
1902 | 308 | 11/18/1902 | sheet stamp | 31,290,174 | 12 | purplish black, brown violet | this was the first
thirteen-cent denomination issued by the U.S. Post Office Department 13¢ paid the combined letter and registry fee on international mail |
15¢ Clay
of 1903
Designer: R. Ostrander Smith
Engravers; unknown but certainly from the team on this page
Year | Number | EDU | Type | No. Issued | Perforation | Colors/Varieties | Purpose |
1903 | 309 | 9/11/1903 a registry tag dated July? 1903 is known |
sheet stamp | 41,205,754 | 12 | olive green,.
deep olive green; double transfer |
the fifteen-cent
stamp was used mainly for letters over 2 oz. to Europe and on fourth class mail and parcel
post packages; also to pay triple the U.P.U. foreign mail rate and as an all-purpose stamp to complete postage |
50¢ Jefferson
of 1903
Designer: R. Ostrander Smith Vignette: G.F.C. Smillie
Frame and Lettering: R. F. Ponickau and G. Rose
Year | Number | EDU | Type | No. Issued | Perforation | Colors | Purpose |
1903 | 310 | 10/6/1903 | sheet stamp | 2,651,774 | 12 | orange, deep orange | the fifty-cent
stamp was used on multiple rate letters and parcels |
$1 Farragut
of 1903
Designer: R. Ostrander
Smith Engravers: unknown but certainly from the team on this page
Year | Number | EDU | Type | No. Issued | Perforation | Colors (from Johl) | Purpose |
1903 | 311 | 9/30/1903 | sheet stamp | 504,374 | 12 | grayish black, gray black, black | the one-dollar
stamp was used on high multiple rate letters and parcels |
$2 Madison
of 1903
Designer: R. Ostrander Smith
Engravers: G.F.C. Smillie, R. F. Ponickau, G. Rose and Lyman F. Ellis
Year | Number | EDU | Type | No. Issued | Perforation | Colors | Purpose |
1903 | 312 | 2/17/1904 | sheet stamp | 37,872 | perf 12 double line USPS watermark |
blue to dark blue | the two-dollar
stamp was used primarily on parcels |
1917 | 479 | 4/6/1917 | sheet stamp | 305,380 | perf 10 with no watermark |
blue | this stamp was often used
on parcels to Russia |
$5 Marshall
of 1903
Designer: R. Ostrander Smith
Engravers: G.F.C. Smillie, R. F. Ponickau, G. Rose and Marcus W. Baldwin
Year | Number | EDU | Type | No. Issued | Perforation | Colors | Purpose |
1903 | 313 | 2/17/1904 | sheet stamp | 49,211 | perf 12 double line USPS watermark |
dark green | the two-dollar
stamp was used primarily on parcels |
1917 | 480 | 4/6/1917 | sheet stamp | 217,167 | perf 10 with no watermark |
green | this stamp was often used
on parcels to Russia |
Notes:
The EDU information is based on the best information available. If you know of a documented usage earlier than the one listed, please let me know and the information will be updated as appropriate.
Bibliography and suggested additional reading:
The U.S. Postage Stamps of the 20th Century, Volume I revised, by Max Johl (1937)
The 1949 Scott U.S. Specialized Stamp Catalogue Scott Publications, Inc.
Rates:
U.S. Domestic Postal Rates 1872-1999, by Beecher and Wawrukiewicz (1999)
U.S. International Postal Rates 1872-1999, by Beecher and Wawrukiewicz (1996)
Notable Auction Sales:
The Dr. Joseph Agris Gold Medal Collection of United States Coil Issues - Shreves Philatelic Galleries Sep.5, 1997
The Roger S. Brody Gold Medal Collection the United States 1902 Series - Shreves Philatelic Galleries Dec. 6, 2002
The Cheshire Collection of 1902-1908 Issues - Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries March 12, 2004
The North Fork Collection of Superb 20th Century U.S. - Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries #903 October 20, 2005
The Alan B. Whitman Collection, Pt. III: 1902-1934 Issues B-O-B - Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries #968b Sep. 22-25, 2009